


The Tale of Gabriel

by LiberAmans214



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Archangel Gabriel (Supernatural), Archangels, Asmodeus (Supernatural) Being an Asshole, Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, Castiel is a Good Friend, Crying Gabriel (Supernatural), Doctor Sexy M.D., Domestic Fluff, Domestic Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Episode: s03e11 Mystery Spot, Episode: s05e08 Changing Channels, Everyone Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fledglings, Gabriel Being Gabriel, Good Uncle Gabriel (Supernatural), Hurt Gabriel (Supernatural), I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Bad At Titles, Implied Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jack Kline Loves Nougat, Lucifer Feels, M/M, Original Character(s), Protective Lucifer, Protective Michael, Protective Sam Winchester, Sabriel Big Bang, Sabriel OTP Challenge, Sad Gabriel (Supernatural), Slow Build Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Stull Cemetery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 14:04:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14450826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiberAmans214/pseuds/LiberAmans214
Summary: Gabriel has been brought back to the bunker by Arthur Ketch and hence follows a slow recovery, angsty flashbacks, developing feelings, rekindling emotions and after a time lapse, A Very Happy Ending.***Basically follows from 13x17 *pretends the episodes after it didn't happen canonically* And it's Angst with a big dressing of Fluff!I'm bad at summaries, but I think all Gabriel-lovers will like it.





	The Tale of Gabriel

Gabriel looked at Sam with unsure eyes, as Sam finished cutting the last of the wires.

Sam had no idea what he'd been expecting, perhaps a few words, perhaps a smile - small, but nonetheless a smile - but what he saw as a reaction didn't include any words. Yet, it said a lot, and made Sam look even closely, with unexplainable feelings of hurt, at the wounded archangel.  
Gabriel had pressed his lips together out of habit, for the fraction of a second, before parting them, and sucking in a deep breath. As he breathed out, a little smile appeared out on Sam's face, of relief. 

"You're okay..just breathe.." He muttered, in an effort to be comforting, and reached out with his hand to touch Gabriel's arm. 

Gabriel withdrew in shock, coweringly crouched up in his chair, his eyes darting all over the place, and breathing noisily.

A flicker of despair went through Sam. Did Gabriel really think Sam would hurt him? Ever? "I-it's alright, Gabriel, you're okay. Okay." He repeated, at a loss as to how to deal with this.

Gabriel gulped, before suddenly beginning to cough, almost bending over as he did so. Sam, understanding that this was the result of a parched throat, immediately handed him the glass of water. The shrivelled archangel shook, and gasped for breath, as he looked at Sam with blank eyes, not moving a muscle to take the glass from his hands.

The meaning of that gesture hit Sam like a ton of bricks. He felt his throat choke up as he placed the glass on the table, and pushed it towards Gabriel. "Just drink the water." He pleaded.

Gabriel eyed Sam almost skeptically before taking the glass and finishing it off with a single breath. When he put the glass back on the table, his eyes glistened with tears. Something that cool had gone down his throat, after years. His parched lips seemed to regain a bit of life, and lose a bit of the grime and blood.

"More?" Sam asked, as Gabriel sat listlessly on the chair, just breathing with parted lips. Gabriel coughed in response, and Sam poured him another glass. "Your body needs it." He murmured, as Gabriel gulped down the second glass. 

After the second glass, Gabriel finally pressed his lips together again, still parting them every other moment, determined to sustain the miracle, and afraid they'd once again be sewed shut.   
Sam looked at the shell of a man, not with pity, but sympathy. It was like seeing seeing another victim of Lucifer, except this was Asmodeus. Sam was going to kill that yellow-eyed son of a bitch dead. But that was for later, he was more worried about Gabriel at the moment. Gabriel was barely scraps of what he'd been, power-wise, but Sam discovered he missed Gabriel's voice and words and smile even more. It was heartbreaking for anyone who'd ever been acquainted with the man he'd been, to see him in this condition, but Sam felt more than heartbroken. He felt an eerie sense of protectiveness, anger, and overwhelm. And sadness.

"No one's coming for you," Sam promised, his jaw set, and his hands extended towards Gabriel, eager to soothe him and remind him of what gentle hands were, but Gabriel was quivering, and would be terrified of any pair of hands. "I'm here. I'll fight all of them. All of them, for you. I'll let none of them get near you. I promise, you hear me? None of them. Not one," Sam mumbled, his eyes running over Gabriel's mangled filthy form, picturing the smirking golden-haired Trickster he'd always had known him as. He wasn't quite sure which one of them he was supposed to be comforting. Gabriel turned his eyes up at Sam, confused unsteady eyes, which looked almost dark brown in the light. They'd once boasted of golden; the magnificent tints of orient. And now, as if they were covered in a layer of torture and pain and darkness and loneliness, they were dull. Sam knew at once, how he could begin to get Gabriel back..just like the drink of water.

"A bath." He stood up. "You need a shower." Reflexively, Gabriel wrapped his arms around himself in a defensive stance. Sam, once again experiencing the feelings of hurt, of the fact that Gabriel even imagined that Sam could hurt him, put a hand as gently as he could on Gabriel's back. After Gabriel had instinctively leaned forward with a jerk to avoid Sam's hand, he slowly returned to his position, swallowing hard, and looking at Sam cautiously. 

"Stand," Sam spoke gingerly. "Please stand up," he pleaded, giving him a gentle push.

It was some seconds of unsure footing and scared staggering, in spite of Sam's steady hands on his forearms, that Gabriel stood up straight. Sam immediately offered him his hand for support. Gabriel ignored the request, continuing to stare at Sam. Sam, sighing, took Gabriel's hand with his right, slinging his left around the shorter man's shoulder. Gabriel winced, shivered, and drew away. Sam, terrified that he'd hurt Gabriel, his eyes wide with worry, tried again, wrapping his arm around Gabriel softly. This time, Gabriel whimpered, but didn't pull away. If Sam hadn't had tears in his eyes for a indescribable feeling in his chest, he would've afforded a smile at this.

"Can you walk?" Sam asked softly, as he begun to lead him slowly towards his own bedroom, and then the bathroom. Gabriel dragged his feet along, wordlessly. Once they were at the door of Sam's bathroom, he separated himself from Gabriel, and turned on the shower, dodging the water, as he returned to Gabriel. "Go. Take a bath." He tried to smile casually. "It'll be good."

Gabriel, without protests, stepped into the shower, drenched through his clothes in a matter of seconds. Sam stared at him from outside the bathroom, for a few moments, as Gabriel rubbed his own face with his hands, and watched the blood and the filth get washed away. Sam almost grinned, imagining the Gabriel he knew coming out of the shower, instead of the one who'd gone in, and sat on the bed, waiting for the due miracle.

He heard a confused gasp, a few minutes later, clear in Gabriel's voice, and immediately burst in.

Gabriel, with a look of shock on his face, was staring at himself in the mirror. He turned with a jerk as Sam entered, and stared at Sam with bloodshot eyes for a moment, with a look of pure shock, before he turned back to the mirror. 

The man in the mirror, was nowhere near the Gabriel, Sam had known. His face was cleaner, with the layers of dirt washed away, but pale. And in the back ground of clear skin, the wounds showed more horribly than ever. There was a gash across his right cheek, and scars all over his face. Fully clothed and drenched, his clothes stuck to his skin, outlining his skinny frame, and his mangled, matted hair no longer curled at his neck or glistened golden-blond, but clung to his forehead and the back of his neck. And in place of the ever-ready and irresistible, albeit mischievour smile on his lips, his lips were in a straight line, as he saw himself for the first time in years. 

Sam ran a hand through his hair, cursing under his breath. How had Gabriel changed so much? It'd been a bad idea, and Sam should not have dared to hope anyways. His Gabriel was still a good way away..but he'd get him back. He had to, he promised himself, as he walked back out of the bathroom, and leaned against a wall, and tears, which he didn't know he'd been holding in, came pouring out.

***  
Almost an hour later, after Gabriel was dried, and dressed - in an old T-shirt Sam loved from when he was in Stanford, and pyjamas which Dean had gifted Castiel as a joke - and seated next to Sam on Sam's bed, with a still-filled bowl of ice cream - screw cholesterol or carbs, Gabriel loved icecream, Sam had remembered - Sam tried to get him talking. It'd always helped him.

"Do you remember me?" He mumbled, leaning back against a pillow propped up against the wall, and looking at Gabriel who was eating slowly, thousands of questions in his mind. "I'm Sam," he begun to speak, hoping for an interruption. "Sam Winchester. Dean..is my brother. Castiel, one of your brothers, is our best friend. We're hunters; we hunt monsters. The bad things out there. Like we'll hunt down Asmodeus and make him regret that he ever even touched you." He promised, with no response from Gabriel. "We met several years back. You pretended to be a janitor, while you were the one giving those people their 'just desserts'. It took us so long to find you, but when we did, you were only the Trickster to us. Maybe if you'd been just that.." Sam drew in a deep breath, searching Gabriel for replies. There were none. 

"We discovered later, that you were an archangel. The fourth one, Gabriel, the messenger. Y-you always looked out for us..for me, I thought." Sam afforded a small smile. "You once killed Dean hundreds of times, to prove a point to me. I didn't like that a bit. But then you gave in, and returned him to me. Thanks for that, though you could've not taken him away for four months in the first place. But then, I forgave you for that..you after all actually thought it'd help me Hell, if I'd had had the balls to live that way, most of the crap hence wouldn't have happened. But it was Dean. I could never live without Dean. And you understood that in the end."

Gabriel looked at Sam, with no reply.

Sam continued nonetheless, pleasuring in the narration of those events. "You once trapped me and Dean in a TV. In a bunch of shows. You..you had me hit in the balls during some Japanese Nutcracker, and then Dean and I posed as cheap detectives. We rode that double-cycle thing..and we were in Dr. Sexy for a bit, where some random girl slapped me for cheating on her." Sam smiled, reminiscing the episodes. "You even gave me genital herpes." Sam laughed, begging for an emotion from Gabriel. "And then the time with Lucifer. You sacrificed yourself to save the rest of us. You..died, for us. But not entirely, I'll volunteer, if Asmodeus had you for all these years. But still..for us."

Gabriel had finished his ice cream, Sam noted with pleasure, which was lessened by the realisation that Gabriel had still not said a word. He sighed. "Man, time sure flies when you're having a one-sided conversation about weird times and multiple deaths, with the man who caused them, a.k.a. the famed Trickster." Sam remarked, with a smirk at Gabriel, with the purpose of receiving a smile in response. There was none, but at least Gabriel had eaten.

"Well," Sam tried, again. "Dean's got Dr. Sexy stashed away, somewhere. Interested?" No reply. "You like Dr. Sexy, Gabriel, you were him for awhile! A nod? Something?" Sam sighed. "I will take that silence for a yes, and get it." He got up, to leave. "Refill, Gabe?" He gestured to the ice cream bowl. Gabriel raised his eyebrows lightly, the first facial-expression response to Sam's many words. Sam bit his tongue. He'd just called an archangel Gabe, hadn't he? 

He was no better than Dean, he cursed, as he took Gabriel's bowl with him to the kitchen.

***

Much later, in the middle of 'Cured by a Smile' - episode 5, Dr. Sexy MD - when Sam was distractedly looking at the screen, his mind wandering, Gabriel suddenly spoke out.  
"Yes."

Sam turned to him, in surprise, more than relieved to hear Gabriel's voice again. It was not as smooth and velvety as before, but hoarse, and low. But it was Gabriel and he was speaking - finally - and Sam heaved a sigh of relief. "Yes?" He repeated.

"You asked." Gabriel justified, not looking at Sam, his voice still cracked. "Answer is yes."

"The icecream or Dr. Sexy?" Sam tried a smile. "Because you're kinda late, you know."

"No." Gabriel finally turned to Sam, looking at him in the eye steadily for the first time since he'd returned. Not like a broken archangel who'd been tortured for years straight in the deepest, darkest corners of hell by a demon who'd been exploiting his grace; but like Gabriel. He held Sam's gaze firmly, his honey-golden eyes peering straight into the bigger man's soft brown ones, and he blinked once before speaking again. "I remember. I..never forgot. I never could."

Sam's voice was stuck in his throat. He waited for more words. He needed more words. Only a few followed.

"I never wanted to. You're Sam; Sam Winchester. Sam. And I remember it, I remember you." He repeated, straining his eyes away and turning to the window. 

Sam drew in a deep breath, turning his own eyes away from the TV, to the floor, as unexplainable tears clouded his eyes. He hated tears, but somehow he had no control over it anymore. All of those years, with Gabriel's words, flooded his mind. All of those times which they'd spent, just them.. And he let a single tear roll down his cheek, instead of rubbing it away with his hand.

Gabriel's words rang in his ears, making him feel reassured like nothing else ever could. Why so, he had absolutely no idea, but that was the truth.

Gabriel remembered him. And it felt good.

***

That night, Gabriel didn't speak once after that. But Sam kept hoping and trying, now that he'd had a taste of the honey, which was Gabriel's voice; however subdued, still comforting.

The next morning, he bandaged Gabriel up. He did the best he could with what he thought was a cracked rib, and covered all the wounds on the rest of his body with crepe bandages. There were wounds in the most unusual places; his nails were scraped like they'd been particularly targeted for torture, his knuckles were in bad shape, his spine was black and blue with bruises. Most of those, Castiel healed with Angel Grace later that day, and some he couldn't. The gash across his cheek was, for example, unhealable, and stood to be of terrible contrast to the rest of his clear face, after Sam and Castiel were done with it. The scar was most definitely seared onto his skin with burning holy oil, or some dark weapon only known to Hell. Sam tried to ask, but he received no reply. The scar definitely hardened his entire appearance, marring his smooth skin like a wound of battle. Sam knew that were it the wound of a battle, Sam's blood would not have boiled at the mere sight of it, provoking unholy rage directed at Asmodeus. But it wasn't, and if Gabriel's recovery hadn't been the first thing on his mind, he'd be marching into Hell to take Asmodeus down with a single knife, every time he looked at Gabriel, who didn't look like his Gabriel.

***

That evening, Gabriel had said his second words, when Sam had been about to leave - after another night of watching 'Dr. Sexy' in silence, and in bed, with icecream - to spend the rest of the night in the Library, with the Archive's collection of Multiverse-theory-books. Earlier that day, Castiel had returned to the Bunker, and after healing Gabriel and spending some time trying to talk to him alongside Sam, he'd gone through the rift, into the other universe, where Dean and Ketch were. He'd taken with him some sort of a capsule, which he explained could keep the rift open for a hundred hours, by preventing it from closing. He'd added something about how he'd never trust Ketch no matter what, and how Dean was stupid for not waiting for him, before walking through the rift. So, when Sam was about to leave, he and Gabriel were the only ones in the Bunker. 

"Please," he'd muttered, almost incoherently. Sam had looked at him, concerned, pausing midway. 

"What's wrong?" Sam scowled, worried. "Please..what?"

Gabriel looked at Sam with eyes that said a lot. His head tilted to a side, in a partial 'no' gesture, and he bit his lip. "Please." He repeated. "Stay." He added, singularly.

In a jiffy, Sam had understood the several things Gabriel intended to say through those words. Wordlessly, he returned to his position, and even shifted a bit towards the centre of the bed. Gabriel imitated him, and Sam smiled. As Sam pressed 'Play', without saying a word because he knew Gabriel didn't want to use words, he felt Gabriel stare intensely at him. He looked back.  
Gabriel looked slightly embarrassed, and entirely concerned that Sam was staying against his wishes. 

So what Sam said then, had been nothing but the truth. "I wanted to. Stay, I mean. And, I will. Stay here." He added, unnecessarily, as Gabriel, flashed at him the closest gesture to a smile, since the day before.

Just, small little gestures, did a lot of things to their choked-up hearts.

"I'll stay," Sam mumbled, half-sleepily, as Gabriel yawned and suddenly flinched as the wound on his right cheek hurt. "I'll stay with you."

***

The whole of next day, Gabriel spent returning back to his usual self. Trying to, anyways. And Sam helped.

He got Gabriel one of Dean's old canvas jackets which he never got into, and his own plaid shirts which hung on Gabriel's short and skinny frame awkwardly, but somehow looked better to Sam than any of Dean's million-times-worn band t-shirts. 

Gabriel even begun to answer Sam, bit by bit. In the morning, he replied to Sam's question regarding breakfast, by asking for coffee. Sam gave him some more stuff too, which he'd stocked up on from Walmart before, but made the coffee himself, adding lots of sugar. And then, Gabriel had even thanked Sam for it, and remarked that there was more to coffee than it's sweetness. Sam had merely rolled his eyes, in return. His Gabriel would never have said something like that.

***  
The morning after that, when Sam had served Gabriel coffee with lesser sugar, and was sipping his own black coffee, the both of them sitting facing each other on the dining table, Gabriel had suddenly spoke up. "Where are the others?"

"Cas and Dean are in another universe, remember?" Sam reminded, wondering if Gabriel had been too out-of-mind when the two had respectively gone through the rift. "They'll be ba-"

"No." Gabriel breathed tentatively. "Not them. Everyone."

Sam understood immediately. "Oh, you mean th-"

"My brothers, Michael, Lucifer, Raphael. The others, Kali, Ruby, and.." Gabriel's voice trailed away. He looked at Sam carefully. "Where's everyone?"

"Its a long story." Sam pursed his lips.

"Are they alive?" Gabriel's eyes shone with concern. "Here? Or..dead?"

"Its a long story."

"Alright. Tell me the long version of it." Gabriel's eyes were determined. "Tell me all of it."

Sam hesitated. Not everything was good. Actually, nothing was, anymore. "I would-wouldn't be able to." He tried. "I do not know their version of it."

"Tell me your story then." Gabriel said. "What happened to you?"

Sam's laugh was bitter. "I'm a mess. And, again, its a long story."

"Sam," Gabriel's hand touched Sam's, and a bolt of electricity ran through Sam, with the touch. "I haven't been on Earth in years. When I last was, you were different, Lucifer was free, and the Apocalypse was close. Believe me, I want to listen..to know your story. The tale of Sam Winchester. I don't mind a long story. What have I got to do, in any case?"

Sam sighed, almost moved, though embarrassed. "Yeah," he wondered where to begin. "Okay.."

"Begin at the beginning," Gabriel cut off his reverie. "Hotel Lotus. I called my brother a bag of dicks, you were cued to escape, and Lucifer stabbed me. What happened then..?"

Sam began. And before he knew it, with Gabriel's soft eyes on him, and his occasional pertinent question and prompt, he was nearing the end, in spite of going into all the details. Being the true vessels, the Cage, Leviathans, Dean and Cas in Purgatory, the Trials, Angels falling, Dean as a demon, the Darkness released, the British Men of Letters, Lucifer's son. He told Gabriel everything. And it actually made him feel better, for someone to sit in front of him, listening. That had never happened for him before.

He'd told Gabriel everything. Everything.

"You're a hero." Gabriel spoke aloud, when Sam reached the present. "You saved the World. The World. You were soulless, possessed, dead, you survived the Cage, you endured the Trials, you fought the Darkness. You're a hero. The hero."

Sam's eyes were wide. "No..I released Lucifer...I des-"

"I wish I could've been there." Gabriel cut him off. "Michael's still in the Cage, Lucifer's gotten full-on rogue, and Raphael was disintegrated by Cas who was God for awhile. You even met Dad. I..I wish I could've been there."

Sam swallowed. "You'd have been a hel-"

"No." Gabriel smiled, almost proudly. "I wish I could've been there to see you save the World. It would've been..epic. I wish I were there to help..I wish I could've been there by your side."

Sam didn't even think about it, as he let out a long-suppressed, "I wish you could've been there too."

Gabriel looked at Sam. Sam stared back, and they both had tears in their eyes.

"I wanted to be there for you."

"I needed you there."

And once again, words had done the trick.

***  
"No new seasons of Lost!?" Gabriel repeated, as Sam flipped through Netflix, the both of them under Sam's blanket, Gabriel with his legs stretched out in the front. It'd taken a while, but he'd gotten over the habit of hugging his knees to his chest in a protective stance; Sam, and his grace had helped.

"It was such an obvious ending." Sam shrugged. "Why're you surprised?"

"Well, end of an era." Gabriel squinted, shrugging. 

"Several eras ended." Sam pointed out, vaguely.

"Yeah, Michael's reign over Heaven." Gabriel turned his head to Sam. "Lucifer's the host of heaven now. What must that be like?"

Sam reacted with a frown. "Don't know, but can't expect it to be all golden halos and ivy wreaths and coconutty Christmas cookies." He smiled, recalling a line Gabriel had used in their first meeting, which had stuck in his mind. "What do you think?"

"Never saw Lucifer like that." Gabriel offered a small smile. "I daresay its temporary. Michael will be back."

"He's in the Cage."

"Wasn't Lucifer too?"

Sam set his lips in a frown. "You really think so?"

"Maybe." Gabriel netted his eyebrows into a frown. "I just don't think Luci has that kind of an arc in him. To be the Host of Heaven. He just wants to be God."

"And Michael?"

"Mikey doesn't want to be God. He never did." Gabriel bit his lip.

"Not in this Universe." Sam scoffed. "And, do you?"

"Want to be God?" Gabriel looked away. "Heavens, no."

"No." Sam shook his head. "Do you have that kind of an arc in you? To be the Host of Heaven?"

"I don't want to be anything like that." Gabriel replied, after a moment's silence. "Ever. I just want to-"

"Stay on Earth, as the Trickster?"

"Stay on Earth, as the Trickster." Gabriel repeated.

"But the World needs you." Sam squinted, trying to get a reaction out of Gabriel. "Heaven needs you. All of creation requires you-"

"No one needs me."

"Gabriel, believe me. We need you." Sam insisted.

Gabriel sighed, staying silent.

"You know that." Sam continued. "You don't need to be told that. And you can't turn your back on everyone and everything when they - we need you."

"Shirk my responsibilities, you mean?" Gabriel replied, harshly, his eyes cold all of a sudden. "Ditch my duties; not do as Dad commanded us archangels to do? Walk out on the World like the pathetic and useless archangel I am!? I can't do that? Well, haven't I done just that always!?"

Sam was firm, because he sensed a hesitant Gabriel, under a mask. "You won't do that."

"I won't fight against my brothers." Gabriel's voice cracked.

"You have to help us save the World." Sam repeated. He knew what Gabriel was going through, but this was necessary. "Not now, never again."

"I'm weak."

"You're Gabriel."

"You don't need me. I'm-"

"Gabriel. You're Gabriel. And we need you."

"You don't need me-"

"Gabriel, I need you." Sam swallowed hard, his eyes boring into Gabriel's.

"Sam, you and your brother will save the World yet again. You've done it before, and I know you'll do it again."

"Yes, we will." Sam looked away, and Gabriel continued to stare at Sam wordlessly. "But we will." And the both of them understood what that meant; one with resignation, the other with determination.

***

"Dean is going to kill me," Sam muttered, putting on his jacket in a hurry, and grabbing the keys to the Impala from the table.

"He'd much rather kill himself, from what I've heard." Gabriel answered, joining Sam in the living room, dressed in another of Sam's shirts. "Unless, of course, he's possessed, or has transformed into a demon-"

"I really don't need sarcasm right now," Sam frowned back.

"Where are you going?" Gabriel ignored Sam's comment. 

"Nowhere." Sam answered. "I'll be back in an hour by the most."

"Dean's sick girlfriend you were supposed to send flowers to?"

"What, no-"

"Oh, of course not. Dean could never have a girlfriend. He wouldn't cheat on that trench-coated, blue-eyed, gorgeous baritone of a vessel," Gabriel smiled, as Sam shook his head, "Castiel, Angel of the Lord."

"You're wrong, but never mind." Sam sighed. "Stop guessing random stuff, I'm taking the Impala out for a spin. Dean has me under strict orders to drive her everyday, so that the engine stays smooth, and I got to fuel her up, and since I'm going, I'll also pick up some stuff."

"So, technically I was right about Dean's girlfriend you were supposed to visit." Gabriel shrugged.

Sam, pleased that Gabriel was being Gabriel again, nodded dismissively. "So, please keep yourself busy here. And if Dean or Cas, or even Ketch come through, tell them I'll be-"

"Could I come?"

Sam blinked, surprised. "You want to come on a drive in the Impala? Outside..?"

"I guess after your entire lecture that other night, I'm deciding to give the 'Outside' a try." It was true, one evening, when Gabriel had refused to accompany Sam out - another effort to bring Gabriel back to normal - Sam had given him a passionate lecture about how he'd never improve if he stayed that frightened, and how the inside may seem more safe but he couldn't stay there forever. "So, could I come?"

"You sure?" Sam hesitated, wondering if Gabriel wanted to come because he'd be alone otherwise.

"If you're worried I'll try to run, I won't."

"That didn't even cross my mind." Sam said, truthfully. "If you wanna come, then, fine, I guess."  
Gabriel flashed Sam a little smile. "Alright." And the two of them set off.

As Sam drove restfully, Gabriel mused at every beautiful grove, admired the sunshine, and pointed out every unusual tree. He had a smile on his face, the like of which Sam had never seen on anyone's face before; his eyes shone, and Sam could only stare.

"I'd forgotten all this." Gabriel mumbled, when they were returning. "All of this. The way the sun shines down on every creature of the day and how beautifully the trees, and the grass responds. How the calm of a summer afternoon makes you feel, how the chirping of birds in the distance sounds in the background of any beautiful setting, and how the atmosphere feels on you, around you, above you, and with you."

Sam listened, in silence, knowing how Gabriel felt. In that moment, Gabriel's face was lit not just by the sun, but by an amazed smile, and his eyes resembled a ray of sunlight going through a drop of whiskey; the perfect honey-golden. The scar didn't even draw Sam's gaze, and Gabriel was Gabriel again.

"We're coming out more often," Sam spoke, unthinkingly. "If this is what being outside does to you, I don't mind camping out."

"I might be being melodramatic and ridiculous." Gabriel sighed. "But its unbelievable. The sunshine, Sam. The sunshine. Its so bright, so soothing, so..perfect. I'd forgotten the sunshine, Sam. The sunshine. I'd forgotten it." Gabriel sounded, almost struck.

"Then, remember it." Sam muttered, softly. "This is it. You've missed it, but its still here, and you're here too. Don't go back, don't..disappear again, this is it. The perfect sunshine, and its all yours to be in. You're back..you're okay. Remember it again. Its all right here." He wasn't even thinking about what he said.

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Thank you," Gabriel spoke up. "I needed that- this. So badly."

"You did need the sun." Sam joked, looking only at the road.

"No." Gabriel cleared his throat. "I mean, not only that. You, too." Sam swallowed. "Thank you, Samshine." Gabriel's voice held a bit of mischief.

"Its just Sam." Sam chuckled softly, easing the tension.

"When has it ever been just Sam for me?"

***

A loud scream woke Sam.

He'd been sleeping in one of the guest rooms. As a loud yell shattered the silence of the night, Sam sat up straight, not even dreary after he realised it had to be Gabriel. Was he in danger? Asmodeus? Lucifer?

Sam immediately picked up his gun and knife, and bolted into his room, where Gabriel had been sleeping.

"Gabriel!?" He shouted, terrified to find no one in his bed. "Gabriel!?" There was no one in the room.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on the shivering figure crouched next to the wardrobe. He dropped his weapons as he rushed to the man on the floor, and discovered that Gabriel was cold, and trembling, with wild eyes.

"Gabriel! Are you okay!?" Sam hurried, kneeling, trying to hold Gabriel, who kept snapping at him, refusing to let Sam even touch him. "Hey, hey, Gabriel, it's me. Sam. It's Sam. You're okay." He tried, wrapping his arm around Gabriel's shivering self.

Gabriel had little to speak in return; he murmured something incomprehensible and instead of cowering away from Sam, he leaned into his arm, and pressed himself into Sam's side. Sam, almost breathing a sigh of relief, tightened his grip around Gabriel tighter, and Gabriel, still trembling, put his head against Sam's chest, facing Sam, his tear streaked face pushed against Sam's plaid shirt.

"What happened?" Sam asked gently, after a few minutes of silence, during which Gabriel ceased to shiver, and sniff. He knew the importance of gentleness in such moments. During his period, he'd often wanted nothing more than a person he could hold on to while reality slipped and simply be with in silence. There was something intimate and supportive about that kind of silence. "Was there someone here-"

"Al-all of them." Gabriel lifted his head a little, his eyes cast downwards, his hands still clutching his knees to his chest. "They were all here. And I was alone. Helpless. And the-they-" Gabriel begun to shiver again.

"A nightmare?" Sam mumbled softly, his arms not loosening around Gabriel, because something told him Gabriel needed that. "Did you have bad dreams?"

"They were not dreams." Gabriel's voice was subdued and scared. "It was real, Sam. It was..It was happening again."

Sam bit his lip. He knew all about real-seeming nightmares; he'd been a victim for as long as he remembered. "It wasn't." He spoke lightly, trying to be as comforting as possible, as Gabriel returned his head to Sam's chest. "It wasn't real. You're in the Bunker. It's safe. There's no one here..but me. Me and you. That's it. No one else. You're safe."

"Bu-but I saw..." Gabriel begun, this time not even moving his head as he spoke. His words reverberated in Sam's chest. "It was happening all over again." He repeated.

"You were dreaming," Sam repeated. "It wasn't happening-"

"It was." Gabriel almost snarled, pulling apart suddenly. Sam stared at him, with a hurt expression, afraid he'd upsetted the disturbed angel. Dreams could seem very real, but for Gabriel to recover, he had to realise they were dreams. "It is real. It all happened..to me. It's all happened. I'm not safe. Not at all."

Sam realised that Gabriel hadn't been arguing that the dream had been real; he was arguing the other things Sam said. Sam stretched out his hand towards Gabriel. "You are. It did happen. But it won't, again. You're safe, believe me."

Gabriel was quiet, his sudden anger subsiding as quickly as it'd flared.

"You need water." Sam begun to stand up. "And something warm, and perhaps a-" he was cut short by Gabriel, who gripped at Sam's outstretched hand, and almost pulled him down. He couldn't, because he was weak, but Sam gave in and returned to the floor, his eyes fixed on Gabriel sympathetically. 

"Don't." Gabriel muttered, singularly.

"I was just going to get you water-" Gabriel's teary eyes moved Sam. He cleared his throat, and freed his wrist from Gabriel; once again wrapping it around Gabriel, like he had tried to all of these days, and Gabriel only just let him. "I'm not going. I'm going to stay right here. Okay?"  
Gabriel was quiet, and still once again.

"Who're they?" He asked, a moment later, because he felt as though Gabriel needed to let it out. It was always better to get it out than push it deeper in - contrary to what had been the Winchester mantra since always - and he wanted to help Gabriel in any way possible. His heart went out to the broken archangel, and he yearned to be there for Gabriel. 

"The Darkness..Eve.." Gabriel murmured. Sam mused, for a moment, because the two resurfaced at a time when Gabriel was being held prisoner in Hell, but then remembered that Gabriel must be talking of the first time it all happened. When not just he - Sam - but the Earth wasn't there. Back when Amara and God had fought for the first time and God had locked her away; and when Eve, the mother of all Monsters had fought against Heaven and almost won. Back in the days of creation. "Asmodeus. Asmodeus..." He repeated, stiffening.

"He can't come here." Sam whispered.

"He entered my mind." Gabriel whispered in return, unrelated, his voice even more hoarse, now that it was low. "He..he looked into the deepest chambers of my brain..with needles...and he.."

"It's okay. You don't need to talk about it." Sam broke in, worried Gabriel would begin to panic again.

"No. No." Gabriel raised his head, this time with a strange determination in his eyes. Sam was taken aback, by the reflection of his Gabriel there. "I want you to know. I..want to talk about it. I want you to know everything. Everything."

"I'm listening." Sam spoke instantly, truthfully. "I'm here to listen to you."

"Then, listen. For the story of my life has never been told before." Gabriel lifted his chin, as Sam's hands slipped away from around him. "Nobody ever wanted to know what became of Heaven's least important Archangel. But now, I want them to know. I want you to know." He coughed once, and began, with Sam clinging on to each word. "It all began with God airing the first four angels..the archangels..."

By the time Gabriel had finished telling the tale of The Darkness and how they'd been immensely close to losing their entire existence, Gabriel had leaned against the wall again. Sam hadn't uttered a word, and merely listened; with earnest eyes.

By the time Gabriel finished telling the tale of Eve and the attack on Heaven by her and her army, which had resulted in the creation of Purgatory, Gabriel was leaning against Sam once more. Sam didn't mind in the least - he liked the inscrutable feeling being close to Gabriel gave him - and had his right arm around Gabriel.

By the time Gabriel had finished telling the tale of how he became the Trickster, Loki, how he rebelled, how he left Heaven forever and of Lucifer, Michael, and Raphael, Gabriel was weakening, as the memories darkened further. He was resting heavily against Sam now, all of his weight against the larger man, and Sam's hand unmoving from around Gabriel. Sam's fingers carded through Gabriel's hair unconsciously, and Gabriel had left his knees to keep his hands in his lap instead.

Then entered Asmodeus into Gabriel's eternal life. 

Captured within a ring of holy oil, lit on fire; Gabriel's voice broke as he begun talking of his time in his Hell. Hellhounds attacking him; Asmodeus throwing blows at him each chance he got; petty demons taking their chances at torturing him; Gabriel shuddered literally, as he recalled it.   
Asmodeus using a burning knife to sear his skin, lock him in a jail to rot forever, and Asmodeus extracting his grace - Sam's blood boiled. They'd done unimaginable things to Gabriel..he'd make them pay.

As Gabriel retold the incident of the four demons holding him back with all their might and main, as the fifth sewed his mouth shut, there were tears in both Sam and Gabriel's eyes. 

And by the time Gabriel reached the end of his story, when Ketch found him, his tears were flowing freely. Apparently, the very day before Ketch had rescued him, Asmodeus had indulged in personal torture with him, after almost a week, of him rotting alone and abandoned. Asmodeus' remarks on Gabriel's uselessness, his powerlessness, and his disloyalty had irked Gabriel up, and Gabriel had charged at Asmodeus, but all it'd needed was an archangelic blast of power, and Gabriel was almost killed. If he weren't an angel, he would've been blasted to smithereens. Asmodeus had used his own Grace against him, and such blows always hit the vessel the hardest.

"And then th-the British guy brought me here in his vehicle." Gabriel ended, positively shivering, his eyes red and swollen, his throat parched after the epic spoken. "You were there for the rest."  
Sam wanted to tell Gabriel a number of things. That he wasn't useless, or powerless, or disloyal, or the least important archangel of Heaven. That he had valid reasons, he wasn't a lunatic, he wasn't evil. He was a good man, and Sam knew it, and Sam needed him, that Sam didn't think of Gabriel as a failure, that he was a worthy son, and that Sam loved him. Because, he meant it all. But all that escaped his lips was a few incomplete sentences. "They're all wrong; you're a good man..and you're worthy. Of everything this World has to offer, but this World isn't worthy of you."

Gabriel was speechless. And for the first time in all his eternal life, Gabriel hugged Sam Winchester. He wrapped his arms around Sam's torso; the both of them facing each other, and Gabriel buried his head in the nape of Sam's neck, as Sam hugged him back, his chin on Gabriel's head. When they pulled apart, Gabriel raised his eyes to meet Sam's. "Can you not leave tonight?"

"Can I be with you forever?"

"Will you?"

"What reason might I have to leave? You're family."

"You're family, too."

***

"Nice place you got here." Gabriel commented, walking into the kitchen, one day, dressed in one of Sam's large plaid shirts, and trousers. "How did you get it again?"

"We inherited it." Sam smiled, pushing in Gabriel's direction a cup of coffee, like Gabriel always liked. "From the Men of Letters. We're a legacy."

"That sounds fancy." Gabriel took a sip. "Do you have a gym in here?"

"You're skinny for the first time since we made our acquaintance." Sam teased, with a small smirk. "You wanna workout now?"

"Ha ha." Gabriel squinted, smiling in return. "Just asking; because you, for the first time since we made our acquaintance, look like you could use some working out." 

"Please." Sam scoffed, before relaxing out into an easy smile. Talking to Gabriel was always fun, because he was always extra crispy with his sarcasm, and Sam loved it. "So, you want a tour?"

"I'd like that." Gabriel grinned. "Should I take notes?"

"How will I be able to lose you in the basement again, then?" Sam grinned.

"One time that happened." Gabriel rolled his eyes. "And, in any case, this type of houses only existed in the 1600s."

"You should know all about them, then." Sam raised his eyebrows.

"You're still smarting over my four-century-relationship with Kali?" Gabriel grinned, again. "You know, which we consummated here, on Earth, in 1601, in Ve-"

Sam cut him off, shortly. "I was taking a jibe at your age, dude, but you're too dense to get it."

"Proceed with the trip or not?" Gabriel offered.

"I'll change out of these first." Sam gestured to his clothes.

"Oh, come on. You own only two pairs of clothes in all, and you're wearing one, and I'm wearing one. What will you change into?" Gabriel winked.

"Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?" Sam asked, giving in, as the both of them, proceeded towards the basement, where Sam begun his tour trips always.

"No, but I saw your adorable li'l puppy-face too early in the morning." He replied. Sam turned to him, with raised eyebrows. "That's a compliment."

"I kinda needed the clarification."

Sam showed Gabriel around the whole of the Bunker. In the end, when he reached the 'archery range', as Dean liked to call it, Sam thought of an idea.

"Gabriel," Sam smiled, picking up a gun. "You're fairly stronger now. And.." He lowered his voice a bit. "With your depleted grace, it couldn't be too bad to be armed with an extra layer of safety. You wanna learn how to shoot a gun?"

Gabriel hesitated, his face suddenly white. 

"Of course, I won't force you to," Sam mumbled, taken aback completely. "I'm just saying..it'd be helpful..."

"You go ahead." Gabriel cut him off, with a forced smile on his face. Sam realised it was a forced smile, but proceeded to obey. He checked if the revolver had bullets, and then cocked the gun. He put on the headphones and shooting goggles, pushing one towards Gabriel, who ignored Sam's offering. 

"This will be loud." Sam informed Gabriel, who had his eyes fixated on the target. Gabriel moved his hands slowly back to Sam, and offered him a little smile. Sam, encouraged, and anxious to check his aim after days of not practising, aimed for a moment, before shooting. The bullet hit the target right in the head. Sam took off his headset, and with a small satisfied smile on his face, put the gun down. 

But Gabriel's expression was one of terror. His bloodshot eyes, wide as saucepans, stared at the target, and his entire body was rigid. Sam rushed to Gabriel immediately, sliding a hand around Gabriel's shoulder, supportively. 

"Gabriel!" Sam called out, worriedly. "Hey, Gabriel! You okay!?"

"Asmodeus." Gabriel mouthed.

Sam thought he understood what Gabriel meant. He immediately pointed a finger at the target. "Correct. That'll be Asmodeus..and I'll shoot him right in the heart like that. But that won't be it, Gabriel, I promise..there's gonna be so much pain, before I kill him like that, and we'll also-"

"No, Sam." Gabriel cleared his throat. He pointed his own finger towards where Sam had been standing. "Asmodeus." He moved his finger, till it pointed at the target. "That, me."

Sam was quiet for a moment. Before everything made sense to him. White hot rage blinded him; instead of the usual sympathy and understanding. This was it. This...was the limit. He had never been so angry at Asmodeus. He had never been so angry at anyone. This was it. A chill ran through his spine, and unconsciously, his hands fisted, and his jaw clenched. This was it.

"That's it." He declared, his eyes smoldering in the direction in which Gabriel had gestured 'Asmodeus' to be. "That's it. Asmodeus is going down. I'm going to hunt him down, and end him."

"Sam.." Gabriel tried, taking in a deep breath.

"No, Gabriel. I'm gonna kill him." Sam ran his hand through his hair, frustratedly. "You've had enough. We've waited enough. It's time to take the battle to Asmodeus. It's going to be majestic, the end of that monster who did this crap to you, and we will probably need to formulate a plan of some kind. But I assure you, Gabriel, that it's going to be the end of him. I'm not going to let that son of a bitch live anymore."

Gabriel was silent.

"He's coming down." Sam growled, his anger rising with each passing moment. "For all that he's done - for all that he's done to you, he's coming down." 

Gabriel mustered up a little smile; Sam's frown was fierce. His mind was scheming already - Asmodeus had dared to hurt Gabriel and to what extent!? He had asked for this. It was good thing that Dean and Castiel were returning later that day - they'd gone to meet Jody and Donna, and drop off Mary there - and that Sam's angers was rising over the roof. He was going to need it.

He was going to bring the King of Hell down.

***

It was an unusual set of people. Heavens, they were not even all people.

Castiel, seraphim, and Dean, the Righteous Man, were putting their heads together, trying to work out a plan to bring Asmodeus to Earth, without keeping at stake Gabriel's well-being. Lucifer, God's favourite, was chatting away about the different ways in which he could kill Asmodeus, and although that made for great conversation, nobody was listening to him. Sam was quiet, sitting on a sofa, holding his head in his hands, racking his brains all by himself. And Jack, the nephilim sat at a side, observing everyone with needlessly cheerful wide eyes.

"I'll stick with what I said." Dean spoke up, disturbing the reverie. "I think we all should have a chance with Asmodeus. That son of a bitch deserves it."

"He doesn't deserve to kill the rest of you before meeting his actual end at my hands," Lucifer cut in, with a tone of overconfidence. "He deserves to be killed by me, and me solely."

"Lucifer," Castiel interrupted. "This Council has gathered here, as a team. We'll go in the direction which everyone collectively deems the best."

"And this isn't just about killing Asmodeus," Sam raised his head, and looked around at his varied audience. "Killing him would be far too less a punishment. For his deeds."

"Torture first, then." Lucifer piped in, a bit too cheerfully for it to be anyone but Satan saying those lines. 

"I could help with that." Dean shrugged. "It's been a while, but I'm sure I still got it-"

"Hey, kid, Daddy's here." Lucifer raised an eyebrow, shooting at Dean an evil smirk. "I created torture, and what's more, I created Asmodeus. If anyone gets to torture that little prick, it's gonna be me." He subdued considerably at Sam's murderous glare, and added. "Gabriel's my brother, anyways. What's he to you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Dean replied, squinting angrily. "That guy sacrificed his life, to you, for us. I owe him. And plus, any friend of Sam is a friend of mine. And Sam and Gabriel happen to be very close, so that's another way to put it."

"Between you and me," Lucifer whistled. "How close?"

Dean rolled his eyes, and turned to Sam. "D'you agree, Sam? All three of us get our turns."

"What about me?" Castiel asked, suddenly. "Gabriel's my brother too. Asmodeus hurt him, and I think I deserve a 'turn' too." He drew air-quotes.

"I'm with him." Dean supported, putting a hand on Castiel's shoulder.

"Tell us something we don't already know," Lucifer stage-whispered at Sam, who ignored him, like he usually liked to do. If it weren't for Gabriel's sake, Lucifer wouldn't have been here, at all. But Gabriel was his brother, and Lucifer was back completely, and for Gabriel, Sam was willing to collaborate. "Right, Sammy?"

"Sam." Sam growled back. 

"No, it's Lucifer." Lucifer smiled, with a wink. "My lord works too, actually."

"Fine." Sam ignored Lucifer. "All four of us, then. It sounds legitimate."

"What about me?" Jack spoke for the first time.

"You're not going anywhere near that little piece of shit," Lucifer hissed, in something that was probably fatherlier than the Devil would've been expected to be. "You hear me?"

"Dad!" Jack looked at Castiel, complainingly. Dean looked like he could laugh, at Lucifer's face.

"It's not safe." Castiel agreed, unsurprisingly. Castiel and Lucifer were both overprotective dads. "What you can do, is bring Gabriel there."

"We're not bringing Gabriel there!" Sam recoiled, standing up. "There's no way I'm letting that son of a bitch come within a mile of Gabriel, again!"

"He deserves to see the end of him." Dean tried. "Wouldn't you want to see..well..if all of us plotted to kill Lucifer gruesomely?"

Lucifer frowned icily, and Sam afforded a little smile. "I just don't want him to break down again. I'm afraid, he would."

"By the time Gabriel returns, Asmodeus will be in a state which no one would ever fear." Lucifer swore. "I'll make sure of that."

"We all will," Castiel agreed. "But, Asmodeus could say things to Gabriel; hurtful things."

"It would be the best closure  in the history of closures-from-abusive-relationships to see Asmodeus die." Dean argued.

"Maybe," Sam mused. "Maybe you're right. I'm just afraid Asmodeus will bring back the-"

"Ghosts of the past?" Dean offered. "Well, it might, but then we'd all be a step closer to retrieving the old Gabriel completely."

Sam sighed. "Lucifer, what do you have to say?" He asked, dejectedly.

Lucifer seemed to have been pulled out of a deep reverie. "Yes! I-I mean..let's do it.."

"What were you thinking about?" Castiel squinted, tilting his head to the side. 

"You guys called me." Lucifer shrugged. "Did you also call Michael?"

"No." Dean pulled back. "No!"

"He's in the Cage." Castiel informed Lucifer.

"You think I don't know?" Lucifer snapped. "I just thought, that if you could call the Devil himself from the throne of Heaven, you could summon the supposed Good-boy angel from the Cage."

Dean turned to Sam. "Sam? We can't do that, can we!?"

"What if Michael and Lucifer unite, over the cause of their brother, Gabriel?" Castiel muttered, quietly, shattering the silence.

Sam stared at Castiel; he'd voiced what he'd been thinking. "Wouldn't that be..a glorious end?"

"Truce?" Lucifer repeated.

"For Gabriel." Sam added.

"Truce." Lucifer repeated, several minutes of silence later. "I'm willing to work with Michael, Sam, if it's for Gabriel. But, after that!?"

"You haven't been listening." Castiel cut in between. "Unite, Lucifer, forever. You give up control over Heaven, and the Apocalypse never happens. The World is peaceful, and everything is the way it's supposed to be."

Dean drew in a deep breath. "After we finish Asmodeus, there won't be a King of Hell. You..you can resume control over Hell. M-Michael can resume control over Heaven. It..can be how it was all intended to be." He repeated.

"And Gabriel doesn't have to fight either of his brothers," Sam whispered, almost to himself, remembering Gabriel's distant words. "He can stay on Earth, as the Trickster." A smile came onto his face.

"And since you're all family," Jack cut in, with his usual cheeriness which couldn't be subdued. "Nothing can go wrong!"

"You, kid, need to touch up on your Bible." Dean rolled his eyes, at Jack.

"No, Dean." Sam's face was lit up with the smile. "This time, they wouldn't be there because God ordered them to. They'd have chosen their arenas. This time, they might just be fine."

Lucifer was quiet. Dean was exploring all kinds of possibilities in his racing thoughts. Castiel was wondering at the consequences of such a decision, and Sam, had faith and hope.

"This meeting needs to be shifted somewhere else." Lucifer cleared his throat, sounding more earnest than he'd ever had. "The Cage. I'll fly us there-"

"There needs to be one last addition to your meeting." Came a new voice. It was Gabriel, himself, in clothes of the type he wore the last time he was on Earth, and an amused smile dancing on his lips. His golden eyes sparkled, as he examined the room. His eyes fixed on Sam, and crinkled into a smile, before resting on Lucifer. "Brother." He pursed his lips.

The entire room turned to look at Lucifer. Strangely enough, Lucifer's usually icy blue eyes were soft; a light, sad, scowl on his lips, instead of the cold smirk. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, unsure. Sam was the only one who noticed that Lucifer's eyes, for the first time he'd ever seen them, shone with incoherent love, for a brother he'd grown with. A brother he'd fought by, a brother he'd spent aeons with, a brother he'd had to kill. 

"You hiding a blade up your sleeve, Luci?" Gabriel laughed, bitterly, and instantly flinched. The scar, on his right cheek, still hurt when he laughed.

Lucifer's eyes hardened, at once. The last words he said, before walking up to Gabriel, and wrapping him in a hug - of the kind Dean had given Sam, several times, on all the occasions after a not-Dean version of Dean tried to kill Sam - were something which made Sam feel a hundred times better of his resolve to end Asmodeus, the enmity between the first two archangels, and Gabriel's dilemma.

"How dare Asmodeus even touch you, that fucking white-suited son of a bitch!?" Lucifer's voice rose with each word. "I'm gonna make him pay..I'm gonna make that bastard pay so hard for every time he inflicted a weapon on you, each time he hurt you! I swear on Dad, Gabriel, I'm gonna take your revenge!" He turned in Sam's direction for a moment. "Just bring Gabriel in front of Michael, Sam, and he'll agree. He'll agree to whatever you have to say, if it means that he'll get to kill the asshole who did this to our brother!? As will I!" 

Sam looked at the embrace, almost teary-eyedly, as Gabriel hugged Lucifer back, almost aggressively, somehow all the bitterness forgiven. They were brothers again, and Sam had never seen Lucifer so vulnerable. Not even when he'd had to kill Gabriel the first time...somehow this was worse. It could have something to do with some lowly other being daring to lay a finger on Gabriel, which infuriated Lucifer. Sam understood that only too well.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Dean looked at Sam, thinking the same things in parallelism to his own relationship with his brother. He sighed; the solution seemed perfect.

Castiel and Jack exchanged a glance, Jack confusedly looking on, and Castiel, knowingly. They could not have hoped for a better end.

*** 

The great day finally arrived.

Sam, and Dean, drove to the Stull Cemetery in the Impala, early in the day. The Stull Cemetery brought back memories to Sam, which he'd wanted to forget, but never had. Lucifer had first confronted Michael there, when Lucifer had been possessing Sam; Michael, their half-brother Adam. And...he'd jumped into the cage. Preventing the Apocalypse. 

This time, most of the same people were going to be there. But instead of merely preventing, or delaying the Apocalypse, they were going to end the possibility of it, forever. With the end of Asmodeus, Lucifer could ascend the throne of Hell, and Michael could reclaim Heaven, and they'd not interfere in each other's régimes any longer; not for war, in any case. 

Michael had been surprisingly keen on the offer - it got him out of the Cage, didn't it? - but his sincere affirmation was received only after he'd had a private conversation with Lucifer and Gabriel. He, as Lucifer had predicted, accepted all terms, to be released from the Cage, and be allowed to kill Asmodeus, who did so much to his brother. Lucifer had clarified that he wouldn't be the only one there with the same ambition, and Michael had agreed, with a smile.

Everything was set up, and although the scheme included Universe's most dysfunctional family, the Winchesters and of course, the King of Hell, it seemed like nothing could go wrong.

Sam was hopeful, to say the least, as he looked at the spell Dean was preparing, with utmost meticulousness. Unlike him; but it was quite a big deal to not do so, after having united the hosts of Heaven and Hell for the purpose. 

Dean stepped back, with a satisfied smile on his face, a minute later. "Done." He looked over at Sam, who was clearly in deep thought. "You wanna do the honours?" He handed Sam the matchbox, as Sam nodded. "Let's do this!"

"Let's do this." Sam resounded, dropping the lit match into the mixture. It leaped to life, with red flames, and in an instant of a whirring sound, Asmodeus stood before them.

He wore the white tuxedo he'd worn the last time Sam saw him, though he looked less powerful for some reason. Out of stolen grace, Sam thought to himself, mirroring Asmodeus's sneering smirk.

"Asmodeus." He clenched his fist, even looking at the demon. "Finally."

"Sam Winchester." Asmodeus smiled depreciatingly, his eyebrows rising, and the corners of lips curling. His words curled up at the end with a thick accent; accelerated by a cruel smile. "Always a pleasure to meet a savior of the planet."

Sam didn't react to the jibe. Dean did. "And, always a pain in the ass, to meet an unimportant third-grade demon with a Clumsy-the-smurf accent who's filled with false self-importance because of a stupid little throne." He retorted, smiling broadly.

Asmodeus' smile shortened, his lips thinning. "Ah, Dean Winchester!" He tilted his head slightly. "Do you two always complete each other's dialogues?"

Sam ignored Asmodeus' rhetorical question. "Asmodeus, you're here to pay." He proclaimed, his teeth gritted.

"Pay? For my sins?" Asmodeus laughed amusedly. "And the boy-king of hell is going to make me, the King of Hell, pay?"

"Well, someone paid attention in the History class," Sam replied confidently, anger flaring inside him, which he struggled to keep on a leash. "You'd know then, I'm sure, what to fear." Sam was seldom for dramatic dialogues, but that just seemed appropriate. Asmodeus' smile twitched.

"Dean was famed for his words, boy, I'd only heard of your brain, and the sword-wielding-arm." Asmodeus replied instantly. "Am I to be proved wrong?"

Sam raised an eyebrow, challengingly.

Asmodeus laughed again. "Full of rage, I see. But I guess, the circumstances are that way!" Asmodeus extended out his hand to Sam. "Hand me the archangel, Winchester, and I shall be on my way." He added, suddenly serious.

Sam cleared his throat, his eyes wide. "You think we summoned you to give Gabriel back!?"

"Well, I connected the dots," Asmodeus smiled again. "You have no use for him, save his grace, and he's but a burden on you three. He's too weak to fight either Lucifer or Michael, and too much of a magnet for the Supernatural. Plus, he was my prisoner, till your friend Ketch took him away without permission, hence it's only legible that you'd want to return to me what's rightfully mine." Sam narrowed his eyes, his chest heaving. "So, return to me my little pet archangel, and I'll spare you and your brother for your foolish decision to summon me here against my will!"

"He's not your anything-"

"Oh, but he is." Asmodeus cut off a raging Sam. "He's mine to do whatever with. My prisoner, and my li-"

Sam flew at Asmodeus, unable to reign himself in any longer, pulling out the archangel's blade from it's holder, and starting towards the demon with a yell. But he'd not even gotten within a metre of him, when Dean had held him back with all his might. Sam struggled against his brother. "H-he..deserves it! I'll kill him..He said-"

"The plan." Dean urgently whispered, holding Sam's arms. Sam loosened finally, unclenching his fists, screwing his eyes shut to let some of the fury subside. He focussed on his breathing, and took a step back, clenching his jaw, and grimacing.

"Somebody's touchy!" Asmodeus sneered. "Or is it just because it's Gabriel, your long lost-"

"You know something, yellow-eyes," Dean cut him off, loudly. "Crowley, the King of Hell before you, and for so much longer, was much more entertaining to talk to." He had his most annoying smile plastered on his face. Sam afforded a small smile. "It was all burn and no cool; whenever he trash-talked us. I guess, something to do with experience and being a natural at ruling. Or perhaps, just a wittier tongue."

Asmodeus seethed. "Not a word about that-"

"Come to think of it, all the previous Rulers of Hell have been more apt at the task." Sam joined in, with a shrug, completely letting his anger go for the moment, with a victorious smirk on his face. "After all, me and Dean have seen a lot of them through their tenures. Lilith? Way more intimidating." He let out a chuckle.

Dean joined in instantly, looking at Sam as he spoke, with an encouraging smile. "And Abaddon? Dude, she was dangerous! She was cut to pieces, and she literally sew herself back up. Those Frankenstein-stitch-marks on the neck? Kind of a necessity to be the Ruler of Hell, I'll say, to keep up with the standards, huh Sammy?"

Sam added in a laugh. "And then, of course, we had Lucifer. Like, who competes with Satan, for the position anyways? He created you Princes of Hell, Knights of Hell, and is literally synonymous with the Underworld. You don't even begin to compete with him. Weren't you his weakest creation, Asmodeus?"

"How dare you!?" Asmodeus took a step forward, raising his hand, to conjure up some spell. "I defeated Lucifer, and-"

"Speak of the Devil." Came a new voice. It was Lucifer, himself, standing inches in front of Asmodeus. He'd appeared in a flurry of wings, and stood confident and straight in front of the new King of Hell, . He had a smirk on his lips, and his crystal blue eyes gleamed with a burning desire for revenge, and anger. "And the Devil graced you with his divine presence." His smirk intensed. "Asmodeus." It seemed enough of a greeting.

"Lucifer, my-" Asmodeus begun, regaining from his unnervedness.

"Master." Lucifer completed. "That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it, Asmodeus?"

Asmodeus narrowed his eyes. "Strange hearing that from you, after I had you as a prisoner in my abode. You ran away, with the help of that puny angel, didn't you?"

Lucifer's smirk wore off. "Your abode is what I created of it, Asmodeus. As I created you, you filthy piece of shit." He raised his chin. "And ran away? Why, you want a rematch, li'l guy?"

"I'd defeat you again." Asmodeus didn't look half the strong he tried to sound. Standing that close to Lucifer, had that effect on people. "You still don't have all your powers, and this time I'll crush you to dust-"

"Powers? Oh, you mean these?" Lucifer flexed, and immediately, his eyes flashed a deadly red, magnificently coloured wings materialising, and light radiating from him. They went away, as quickly as they'd apparated into vision, as Lucifer clipped his fingers. "Oh, didn't you hear? Nah, I got all of 'em back." Lucifer flexed once again, raising his hand. "And dust? You mean, like this?" Lucifer flicked his fingers, and within a second, Asmodeus was rolling in the dust, ten yards away, coughing, and lying on his front. 

Dean couldn't help but chuckle, and Sam sighed, impressed. 

"Y-you got your powers back, I s-see," Asmodeus spat out dust, stammering. "Well, Lucifer- my Lord, I was only-"

"Kidding?" Lucifer completed, his evil sneer in place. His eyes shone red again, and he was angry, for all to see. "I'm afraid you weren't. But, you see, I was." He raised his hand once more. "That, what you saw, any angel in Heaven could do to a demon like you. This, only my powers can." He fisted his hand, and immediately, Asmodeus was writhing in pain. It was as if Lucifer was torturing him, from a good distance away, in a way far more fierce than Alistair could even try. He squirmed, and whimpered, and pleaded for it to stop, begged for it to stop, for a good full minute, before Lucifer, with a lazy sigh, took down his hand from midair. "You missed these good old things as much as I did, didn't you, Asmodeus?"

Asmodeus was in no condition to reply something intelligent, and merely coughed vigorously, trying to help himself to his feet. But before he was even half up, he was pushed down again, this time flattened to the ground on his front. But not by Lucifer.

"Michael?" Lucifer greeted, pleasantly. "I was hoping you'd forget about this appointment." He half-smiled.

"Forget about the pathetic new King of Hades, who dared to torture our brother?" Michael replied, easily, his hand hovering in midair. "Not that easy, Lucifer; I shall forget him only after he's been wiped off the face of our Universe."

"M-Michael?" Asmodeus spluttered. "Rel-release me! Please!"

"This is only the beginning." Michael put down his hand, but an invisible force continued to push Asmodeus down. "There's much to avenge."

"Did you see Gabriel's wings, Michael?" Lucifer asked, over Asmodeus, as he raised his own hand in the air, and Asmodeus begun to heave for breath, as if something was crushing his lungs. 

"I identify my brothers by their wings, Lucifer." Michael replied, instantly. "But Gabriel's were almost unimaginably damaged."

"I wonder how!?" Lucifer snarled.

"I have a guess." Michael took a step forward.

"And what might be just as precious to a demon, as the one dying in front of us?" Lucifer asked Michael, taking steps forward himself.

"His entire existence is not worth a feather of Gabriel's." Michael retorted promptly, his eyes flashing blue with rage. Lucifer's were still red. "But I guess it'll have to work."

"But, brother," Lucifer innocently continued. "Won't it take either of us only a fraction of a second to finish him off?"

"It will, and it'll not be half of what he deserves for the suffering Gabriel went through. What do you suggest, Lucifer?" Both Michael and Lucifer were now standing on either sides of Asmodeus, who lay horrified to death on the ground, on seeing the strongest beings of God's creation unite in anger over him. 

"I suggest we do this the other way." In a jiffy, Michael had unclenched his fist, and Asmodeus seemed a bit less at pain. Lucifer brought Asmodeus up by his collar, raising him up to his height, and clenching his jaw. "The human way. I've heard it pains, boy." Lucifer imitated Asmodeus' accent.

Michael's eyes gleamed with anger. "We'll make it pain, brother." He raised his own fist. "For Gabriel." And the two of them begun to throw punches, and kicks at the demon, who whimpered for mercy, and forgiveness from the very first blow which hit him.

Dean nudged Sam, satisfiedly. "That feels good, I bet."

"For Asmodeus? Hell, no, I hope it hurts a million times more than he hurt Gabriel." Sam glared at the victim of the archangels' profound anger.

"Not for Asmodeus! I want him to hurt like hell. I'm talking about those two." Dean breathed deeply. "You wanna join them?"

"I'm going to have a solo turn with yellow-eyes." Sam declared. "I have Gabriel's blade, and I need to do that for..reasons."

"After Michael and Lucifer?" Dean teased. "An anticlimax, maybe?"

"I'll show him an anticlimax, jerk." Sam hissed back.

"Okay, okay, save that anger for later, bitch," Dean laid a hand on Sam's back, both their eyes still fixated on the surreal scene in front of them. "Man, I'd like to join those two right away, though. It's tempting."

"Let them fight side by side, Dean." Sam's voice held the slightest hint of triumph. "They need to do that. And you jumping in the middle doesn't seem all that sensible. They could annihilate you with a single wave of their hand." Sam wasn't kidding.

"Right, and then you'd have to make a deal with the new King of Hell to retrieve me. And then I'd make one for you at your time of going away, and the virtuous cycle of our wretched lives goes on and on." Dean grinned back. "Anyways, Sammy?"

"Yeah?"

"You think we look like them when we fight together?" 

Sam cleared his throat. "The two strongest archangels beings of God's creation; Michael and Lucifer? Sure, Dean. That's you and me."

"You don't need to sound all that sarcastic." Dean frowned back. "With Gabriel the archangel now, and Cas, and Jack, the nephilim-nougat-kid, we are just as strong a team."

"Team Free Will 3.0?" Sam bit his lip.

"Supposed to be my line." Dean smirked. "But supposing that now we have Gabriel on our side, he'll probably wanna change the name to Gabriel-the-awesome-and-a-few-others."

Sam smiled, almost fondly. "That does sound like him." And it did. Sound, like the Gabriel from before Asmodeus. The Gabriel which Sam wanted to get back, at whatever cost he could. 

The Gabriel of yore. 

***

"Nougat, huh?" Gabriel repeated, shaking his head.

Jack looked at Gabriel with a bright smile, his blonde hair sweeping across his forehead as he walked enthusiastically, and bouncily, as Dean called it. "Yeah. Nougat."

"You could've done worse." Gabriel shrugged, with a small smile of his own. The two of them were walking to Stull Cemetery, because Sam didn't want Gabriel to use his damaged wings yet, and Jack wasn't a good flyer. Sam, Dean, and Gabriel's brother, Lucifer and Michael had their grand showdown with Asmodeus, which was what Gabriel and Jack were walking to see. It'd been decided, by Michael, stubbornly, that Gabriel would not be present there, because it might bring back past-trauma, but Gabriel being Gabriel was sure to go there. Jack hadn't been too difficult to coax into falling in with his plans. "You could've liked Bazooka."

"What's Bazooka?" Jack enquired, instantly.

It was surprising how little the nephilim knew, to Gabriel. But then, as Sam had told him, he was barely a month old. "Something I'm going to feed you someday." Gabriel replied dismissively. 

"Later, for lunch?" Jack offered, as if they weren't just going to spectate a battle between the King of Hell, and five of Gabriel's closest family.

Gabriel stared up at him incredulously. He blinked, before his face relaxed into a smile. "Later for lunch, maybe." He shook his head, as Jack beamed at him. "Well, you could've done better than nougat."

"Nougat is the only candy I've ever tasted." Jack replied, earnestly.

Gabriel almost doubled over. He felt a strong urge to display and sample to Jack all the best deserts which existed, that very moment, but restrained himself; thinking of how he might not be able to do so, with his depleted grace. "Why don't you conjure up some, yourself?"

"I don't know how."

"Just ask Dad." Gabriel grinned.

"Castiel?" Jack scrunched up his nose.

Gabriel shook his head, sighing again. "No, I meant God, as in my dad. But you could," he smiled, a little. "Ask Castiel too, I mean."

"He can make nougat?" Jack repeated, in disbelief.

Gabriel laughed. "Your father can make mountains of nougat out of thin air, kiddo. I don't know if Cas can, I'm never been in his shoes; but Lucifer would be willing to teach you to do that."

"Lucifer's not my father." Jack frowned. "Castiel is."

Gabriel shrugged. "Well, it's your call to make." He suddenly thought of something. "You know, nougat's pretty healthy for sweets. Follow in Sam's footsteps, do you?"

"No." Jack smiled brightly, again. "He offered to feed me food-dressing for lunch. I do not follow in his footsteps, in regard to culinary tastes."

"And Dean taught you to say that?" Gabriel smiled back.

"I overhead him, yes." Jack grinned broader.

"What do you call Sam, Jack?" Gabriel mused, the both of them nearing Stull Cemetery now.

"I call him Sam. What do you call Sam?" Jack replied, politely.

Gabriel chuckled. "A whole lot of stuff having to do with various variants of his poor little name."

Jack blinked, taking it seriously. "Oh." 

Gabriel laughed. "Well, shouldn't you call Sam Uncle Sam?"

Jack appeared to be deep in thought. "Why would I call him Uncle Sam?"

"Well, don't you call Dean dad?" Gabriel shrugged.

Jack appeared even more puzzled, his nose scrunching up, as he squinted in a manner very similar to Castiel. "Why would I call Dean dad?"

"Because you call Cas dad, and they're-" Gabriel paused mid-sentence. Jack looked at him confusedly. He let out a sigh. "Oh, right, they still don't know!" He waved his hand dismissively in the air. "Do me a favour, and say none of this to those idiots. I died and came back, and they're still stuck in denial and stupidity."

Jack nodded. "I won't tell anyone any of this." He paused for a second. "This will be our secret, Uncle Gabriel."

Gabriel's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Wait a second, no! You can call me Gabriel! I'm only Gabriel to you!"

"But, you're both of my dads' brother, aren't you?"

"I...yes, but.." Gabriel rolled his eyes, giving in to the inevitable. "I am your uncle, aren't I?"

"Didn't I just say that, before you denied it?"

"It's called an unnecessary question tag, used to ornament language and provoke reactions."

"Oh." Jack smiled suddenly, as he was in the habit to do. "Got it." He winked exaggeratedly. "Uncle Gabriel."

They were at Stull Cemetery, by the time Gabriel had finished mentally overreacting to having become an uncle. What awaited them, was a sight more surprising than Gabriel could've imagined. 

Lucifer and Michael stood at a side, talking in enthusiasm and fervour. Both of them had blood on their clothes, thought it didn't look like it belonged to either. Lucifer had a satisfied smile on his face, while Michael had his back turned to Gabriel. Gabriel smiled, seeing Dean at the side, saying something to Castiel with a grin, and Castiel looking on stoically at the fight which was going on. Gabriel followed Castiel's gaze, to Sam.

Sam was too caught up in his own fight, to notice Gabriel's presence. He hacked at Asmodeus with Gabriel's archangel blade, and had much of the latter's blood on his face and arms. He ruthlessly attacked, continuously, and although Asmodeus tried to fight back, he was no match for Sam without his powers, which Gabriel's brothers had undoubtedly drained him of. Sam's face was a picture of fury, his charges noticeably majestic, his entire composture perfect for a warrior. It seemed as though the initial fury had worn off, and now he was just attacking him, in resigning hate, instead of a lust to kill. His hair was haphazard, shirt torn, and face smeared with dust and grime. Occasionally, he'd let out a roar, and attack with renewed rage. While all others looked on, impressed at the relentless attacks and perfect stances of Sam with the knife, something inside Gabriel moved.

"Sam," he called out in a voice which had suddenly choked up. Jack looked at him concernedly. 

"Should I call Sam for you?" He muttered.

"No." Gabriel roughly refused, and almost rushed to Castiel, who was taken aback considerably at seeing Gabriel. Castiel had only just returned from his trip to Heaven, to notify the angels of their new King, and the proceedings on Earth. He was the new Messenger.

"Gabriel, you're not supposed to be here-"

"How long has that been going on?" Gabriel pointed to Sam, still fighting with Asmodeus, resorting to punches now.

"More than you'd expect of Sam." Castiel replied quietly, and Dean couldn't hear him. It seemed as though Dean revelled in seeing this side of his brother, as youthful and passionate in anger as was Sam during their first years of hunting together, a decade ago. But Gabriel couldn't stand it, his perspective something different altogether. "Gabriel, he singlehandedly killed a regiment of hell's army which Asmodeus summoned. He needs to be stopped."

"He does." Gabriel breathed tentatively. "You need to send Dean in, or something."

"Dean doesn't realise what's happening to Sam." Castiel pursed his lips. "It's similar to the Mark of Cain. It's hatred. The anger has piled up, and is threatening to destroy all the ways in which he's matured, in all these years. Gabriel, you need to stop Sam, before he does things which the Sam Winchester we know, wouldn't do.  Before he's too far gone." Sam seemed to be paying no heed to his surroundings. It wasn't as if he was weakening, but he was getting slower and slower, as anyone would after a fight so tiresome.

"It's Sam." Gabriel hesitated. "He knows what he's doing."

"This is about you, Gabriel. Maybe he doesn't. Maybe he's just attacking Asmodeus, because he feels it'll make things better for you. Which it doesn't." Castiel stared deep into Gabriel's golden eyes. Gabriel was taken aback, at the literally worded sentence which he'd been fearing. "Sam Winchester became my charge after you were gone, Gabriel. And in all these years, he's never been so unreigned in his anger."

"So..I should step in?" Gabriel swallowed, uncertainly. "I'm..not that strong...I'm still lacking Grace.."

"Your Grace will respond to you from within Asmodeus, Gabriel." Castiel smiled a little. "Sam told me that, yesterday. You might get all of it back, again."

"But, how do I..?"

"Gabriel, when I was young, you were reputed to have done something that destroyed the twin cities of sin. We..all of us fledgling always looked up to you for it. You've done something like that. What's a demon in front of you? All of us angels, it's you we admire, and aspire to be, not Michael, the leader or Lucifer, the rebel or Raphael, the follower. We all have faith in you, Gabriel. You can do this, for Sam and for all that..that..that assbutt has done to you in the past. We're all here to fight for you, Gabriel, but I think Sam will respect you the most, if you fight by him." Castiel's voice was quiet, but his words were weighing.

Gabriel looked for one last time, at Sam. And he made his decision.

"I'm stepping into this." He declared, his eyes gleaming golden. "Thank you, Castiel for reminding me that this is my fight."

Castiel nodded, and Dean, who had apparently been eavesdropping, put a hand on Gabriel's shoulder gently. "Sam values fighting side-by-side and-"

"No. We can fight side-by-side some other time. This, is going to be me and solely me." Gabriel stepped forward, and Lucifer and Michael, were disturbed from their conversation, and Sam and Asmodeus from their battle, by Gabriel's thundering voice. "Step back, Sam! I am going to finish him off."

Sam seemed to be jolted into reality. He blinked. "Let me do it, Gabriel! Let me do it for you!"

"He's my enemy. And I shall end him." Gabriel ignored Sam, and stepped into the middle of the cemetery. 

Asmodeus, blood dripping off of him; his entire self covered in grime, had the audacity to hold a sneer on his lips, despite his limp limbs, and bloody face. "You, Gabriel!?"

"Yes, I." Gabriel pushed Sam back, with his hand on his chest, and Sam almost stumbled backwards his eyes fixed on Asmodeus. "This fight has continued long enough. And, it's time for me to end it."

"You're weak, and you're my-"

"You dare to underestimate me, Asmodeus!" Gabriel glared with all his might, at Asmodeus. "And now, you shall understand the truth! I shall release you from the pain and suffering my family has, and shall cause you for every living second of your life, by granting you death!?"

"Even in this condition, I'm stronger than you-"

"ASMODEUS!" Gabriel yelled, his eyes hardened like flints, and his voice booming in the cemetery. He opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it. "You sealed my lips once, so I shan't speak! But I shall destroy you." 

And with that, Gabriel flexed, and instantly, his eyes glowered golden, his golden wings coming into view. The wings were damaged, healed with meticulousness by several Angel brother, but still damaged. Yet, it was a magnificent sight, for Gabriel looked to be the manifestation of Grace in itself. His eyes were not just golden, but they screamed out blinding rage, and his entire self glowed like it was illuminated.

Sam and Dean covered their eyes, and even Castiel squinted behind his arm, as Gabriel transformed into pure energy, in front of their eyes. He'd continued to glow far longer than Lucifer or Michael, until with blinding magnitude of force, he was only pure light and Grace. 

The blinding phenomenon lasted a moment, before everything returned to normal.

Sam opened his eyes, and stared at where Gabriel had been, but he wasn't there.

He stood where Asmodeus had been standing, and instead of looking weak and damaged, he looked powerful and Archangelic. He still glowed, but as Sam looked on, with unspeakable emotions, his wings returned to an unseen spectre of dimensions, and his eyes were back to golden; boasting of all the proud tints of orient.

"Asmodeus exploded." Dean muttered, under his breath, breaking the silence. 

"No, he got lit up by Gabriel's energy on holy fire, which consumed him, and his ashes imploded in a wave of Gabriel's celestial intent." Castiel corrected, with a small knowing smile on his face.

"He got all of his Grace back." Sam added, in almost a dumbfounded tone. "It returned, when Asmodeus exploded." 

"You mean, when I lit him up by my energy on holy fire which consumed him, and his ashes imploded in a wave of my celestial intent." Gabriel corrected, his face breaking out into a smile. A smile, which was like the smile which Gabriel had flashed at Sam, the first time they met. Connivingly innocent, playful and intriguing. As was Gabriel, himself. 

Sam didn't know what to speak. He didn't even know how his feet carried him forward, for all of a sudden, as the weight was lifted off his chest, he seemed tired enough to collapse. But they did, and he was soon standing in front of Gabriel, who reached out his hand to him.

"Sam," Gabriel whispered, taking the latter's trembling hands.

"It's over." Sam whispered back. "It ended."

"Yes." Gabriel squeezed Sam's hand. "It's over. And I just realised something."

"Yeah?" Sam sniffed a bit, as tears of happiness threatened to break through.

"I love you, Sam Winchester." Gabriel whispered out, staring straight into Sam's unreadable eyes.

Sam let out a gasp, before screwing his eyes shut, out of disbelief. "You love all of us?" He almost broke down.

"No, I'm not like those emotionally constipated idiots whom we call brothers." Gabriel laughed sarcastically, before pulling Sam down to his height by his collar gently, and pressing his forehead against Sam's. "Really, Sam, I love you. I love you." There was a pause. "I love you."

Sam opened his mouth to say something, but Gabriel cut him off.

"Yeah, and I know you love me too - big surprise, I read minds - so you can say it to me later. Preferably, against my lips, after you've kissed me back, when I do this." Gabriel returned to being the laughing Trickster, as he pressed his lips against Sam's. Sam responded gently, his eyes closing in the ethereality of the situation, giving in to his heart and melting into the feeling of Gabriel this close to him.

In the distance, Dean and Castiel, who'd overheard the entire exchange, looked at each other incomprehensibly. Before Dean cleared his throat, wrapped an arm around Castiel's shoulder, and muttered something about how that was quick. Castiel sighed, agreed nonetheless, and proceeded to react enthusiastically to Dean's speculations of the future. They both knew the truth of their situation, but perhaps, this was just their way of expressing their love.

Further away, Michael and Lucifer, stared at the strange scene for a while, before smiling respectively, and turning to each other. Michael stretched out his hand to Lucifer, with truce on his lips, while Lucifer ignored the gesture, and pulled the latter in for a hug. It had been far too long. Far too much time lost.

Jack, still at the gates of the cemetery, observed them all in undisguised surprise. Little gestures which meant so much, made a lot of sense to him. He hadn't been around for much. All he'd seen was Sam covering Gabriel up with a blanket before he left the room, Dean and Castiel coming unbelievably close to holding hands but ending up touching fingertips and staring into each other's eyes, and Lucifer and Michael talking of the past with tears in their eyes, back in the Bunker. But that was enough for him to know the real deal. It was enough for anyone to understand the love between them. It was his first real family reunion. And it was a great family.

Sam and Gabriel, stared into each other's eyes, which conveyed emotions far better than words did.

"You're my forever, Sam." Gabriel breathed out.

"And you, Gabriel, are my happily-ever-after."

***

And that, is the tale of Gabriel the Archangel. Penned down by his personal prophet, me! *sprinkles joy and candies at everyone* FOR GABRIEL'S SAKE!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave me traces of you being here; Hope you had a good time reading this! Have a great day ahead, and keep rooting for Gabriel (in canon) because our Trickster needs it!
> 
> ~ Sheya.


End file.
